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The fear of immigration raids has reached such an extreme point in the United States that even alerts for winter storms are being carefully filtered. Amid a cold wave threatening nearly two-thirds of the country, the federal government asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to avoid using the word “ice” in its public notices… not for meteorological reasons, but out of fear that it would be associated with ICE, the feared immigration enforcement agency.
The instruction, revealed by CNN and confirmed by sources close to FEMA, is said to have been conveyed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees both the emergency agency and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The official argument is that expressions like "watch out for the ice" could generate confusion or become the subject of mockery and memes on social media, in a context of high tension due to the immigration operations driven by the Trump administration.
“It is a dangerous precedent,” warned a source cited by CNN. “If we cannot use clear language to alert the population, people may remain vulnerable and face serious consequences.”
The concern is significant, due to a winter storm that extends from Texas to New England, with severe ice buildup in the southern part of the country, the risk of prolonged power outages, impassable roads, and damage to the electrical grid.
In recent days, FEMA has issued several alerts on social media platform X regarding bad weather, but deliberately avoided the word "ice." Instead, it opted for terms like "freezing rain", following the recommendation from DHS.
Meanwhile, the agency itself dismissed the criticisms and labeled the reports as "clickbait," stating that it will continue to use "correct and precise" descriptors to protect the population.
The controversy erupts at a particularly sensitive time. ICE actions remain an explosive topic in cities like Minneapolis and other areas of the country, while the White House has not hidden its use of memes and provocative messages on social media related to immigration law enforcement.
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